Snapshots of Kailua

I knew Hong Kong and Macau were going to be tiring, and would include a lot of city walking, so I wanted to end our holiday on the beach, on a relaxed note. And so, Hawaii it was.

I allotted four days at the end of our trip, and decided on Oahu. I would have loved to return to Kauai — my happy place — but it didn’t make sense given the time we had. I didn’t want to stay in Waikiki, as I have numerous times, so I looked into Kailua. I found an adorable micro-house on Airbnb: the Kailua Coconut, about a ten-minute walk from the town center and twenty-five minute walk from the beach. It’s an 8’x10′ house with a full-size bed and (private and enclosed) toilet.

The front entrance of the Kailua Coconut.

Our Airbnb hosts, Denise and Henrik, built the Coconut in their backyard. The space is pretty small — tinier than the house we’re building — but it’s custom-designed, with many beautiful details. To make the most of the interior space, there’s no formal kitchen — just a sink, small fridge, and counter — while the shower is outside, next to the house.

View of backyard from inside the Coconut.

The patio between the entrance and the Coconut.

The outdoor shower next to the Coconut.

We’ve stayed in a number of small spaces over the past year, paying more attention to the design of structures like these, as well as tiny hotel rooms, to figure out what we want and need in our own house, and what actually works for a couple. I’d recommend the Coconut if you’re interested in simple, no-fuss, and inexpensive lodging in Kailua: it’s a cute and convenient base to explore Oahu’s Windward Coast.

We took the bus one day to the North Shore to wander in Haleiwa and watch spectacular surfers at the Pipeline, but other than that, we stayed put in Kailua all week. We spent our time getting our shave ice fix, eating a lot, and going to the beach. We tried stand-up paddleboarding for the first time, practicing briefly in the canal, then exploring off of Kailua Beach and to Flat Island.

The view of the Mokulua Islands, about a mile from shore, from Lanikai Beach.A stand-up paddleboarder just off of Flat Island, 1/3-mile from Kailua Beach.A pool on Flat Island, with a view of the Oahu coastline in the background.Our pair of paddleboards, on the shore of Flat Island. That’s Lanikai Beach in the distance.

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Another view from Flat Island, looking toward Kailua Beach.

Obligatory selfie from Flat Island.

Rocky pools on Flat Island, with a view of the Mokulua Islands in the distance.

A kayaker and more stand-up paddlers off Flat Island.

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A view of Flat Island, from Mokulua Drive as it slopes up into Lanikai. (It really is flat, as you can see.)A view of Kailua Beach from the east.A cluster of signs on Kailua Road.Shave ice flavors at Island Snow, steps from Kailua Beach.Breakfast at Cinnamon’s Restaurant, a five-minute walk from the Coconut. On the right: guava chiffon pancakes.Palm tree silhouettes at dusk on Lanikai Beach.

Photographs taken with a Canon G11 or iPhone 5s (a few with Instagram filters).

We’ve been to Hawai’i twice –I particularily enjoyed Big Hawai’i Island and Kauai. 2nd trip was Maui which it coincided with the annual breaching of the whales on southern end of island. An unplanned surprise.

I love Hawai’i …because it’s culturally unlike so much of mainland US.